Juan Pablo Montoya to make 1st NASCAR start since 2014 when he races for 23XI at Watkins Glen

Updated Aug. 2, 2024 10:28 a.m. ET

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Juan Pablo Montoya will return to NASCAR for the first time since 2014 when he races for 23XI Racing at Watkins Glen International next month.

23XI, the team owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, said Friday that Montoya would drive the No. 50 Toyota in support of Mobil 1's 50th anniversary.

It is the third time the car will run this season as part of the collaboration. Kamui Kobayashi drove the car at Circuit of the Americas in March and Corey Heim drove it at Nashville Superspeedway in June.

Montoya, a NASCAR regular from 2007 to 2013, will make his first NASCAR Cup Series start since the 2014 Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The two-time Indianapolis 500 winner has competed full-time in Formula One, CART, IndyCar, and IMSA. He won the CART championship in 1999, the IMSA championship in 2019 and is a three-time winner of the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

Montoya has 12 overall starts at Watkins Glen in four different series. He won the Cup race on the road course in 2010 and has three top-fives, and five top-10 finishes in his seven starts there in NASCAR.

“I’m looking forward to getting back in a Cup car and racing at Watkins Glen — a track I really enjoy and had the chance to experience earlier in my career,” said Montoya. “The Mobil 1 brand was one of my first sponsors when I started racing, so to represent the brand again as they celebrate this milestone will be so special. I’m also excited to work with 23XI and experience what the team is building.”

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

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